


Watermelons

by NotManTheLessButNatureMore



Series: Cormoran the (Younger) Giant [3]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Little boy Strike
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 01:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18305171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotManTheLessButNatureMore/pseuds/NotManTheLessButNatureMore
Summary: “It’s moments like these that Ted wishes he could bottle up memories...”





	Watermelons

“Did you grow that?” Leda’s voice rings out, full of surprise and delight.

 

Cormoran, in a rare moment of shyness, simply nods his head and provokes a chuckle from his uncle Ted. This bashfulness was nowhere to be seen a few minutes ago when he’d thrown Lucy’s new Barbie into the hedge.

 

“Oh, look, Cormoran. It’s beautiful.” Leda pulls him close, his head pressed against her hip.

 

“It’s just a watermelon.”

 

“‘Just a watermelon’. That is the greatest watermelon I’ve ever seen, isn’t it uncle Ted?”

 

Cormoran catches the wide smile that graces his uncle’s face before he schools his features and looks thoughtful. He sizes up the watermelon and strokes his chin. It’s about the size of Cormoran’s head, something the boy had excitedly told Leda as he dragged her by the hand towards the greenhouse. They had arrived back to Cornwall, Leda, Cormoran and Lucy, just last night and after the usual hushed conversations between the adults Cormoran had hassled his uncle into taking him to the greenhouse before bed with a torch to inspect the seeds he’d planted last time they were staying there.

 

“Well, I’ve seen many a watermelon in my time but this one,” Ted says with a glance at the wide eyes looking up at him, “this one is the greatest watermelon I’ve ever encountered.”

 

Cormoran smiles widely and raises his arms in triumph allowing Leda to grab them and pull him left and right so he starts falling over his own feet.

 

“Bleh, bleh, bleh, bleh.” The boy blurts out, his tongue sticking out and wiggling back and forth as Leda pulls him this way and that.

 

It moments like these that Ted wishes he could bottle up memories, save them for the darker times. The times when his sister looks a shadow of herself, when he doesn’t recognise the girl who had every boy in school wrapped around her finger and every girl watching enviously as she passed. The times when Lucy grows quiet and sits alone with her tea sets and baby dolls and Cormoran disappears to climb trees and hide away for hours on end.

 

Ted guides Cormoran’s hands as he cuts the thick stem from the watermelon under Leda’s watchful eye.

 

“I bet you can’t carry it.” Leda says.

 

“Yeah I can.” Cormoran counters and puffs his chest out at the accusation.

 

“No, it’s too heavy darling.” Leda says softly but with a wink in Ted’s direction.

 

“No it’s not! I’m strong, look.” Cormoran says and stretches to reach across the greenhouse shelf, barely shorter than he is, and roll the watermelon towards himself. He wraps both arms around it and pulls it close to his chest, held high up to rest just below his chin.

 

“Oh my god, Ted!” Leda gasps dramatically, Cormoran smiles widely as he holds his prize and Ted can’t help the grin that spreads across his face as he watches them both.

 

“Look at my little man.” Leda says as she ruffles Cormoran’s hair. He heaves the watermelon higher and then bolts from the greenhouse leaving Ted and Leda to look after him.

 

“Lucy! Lucy, come look!” They hear him call as he runs from the bottom of the garden to the house. The further he gets the lower the watermelon slips from his grasp.

 

“He’s going to-“

 

“Mm hm.”

 

Ted and Leda watch as the watermelon topples from Cormoran’s grasp and spins across the grass as he goes down hard onto his knees. Leda steps forward and watches as he comes to lie flat with his head popped up watching the watermelon come to a stop. Before Ted can make a move Leda is out the door and moving as quick as her wedges will allow. She bends and scoops her son up and he waits long enough for her to brush imaginary dirt from his knees and place a kiss on his temple before he runs off again to retrieve his prize.

 

“Lucy!” He calls again and Leda turns back to Ted with a shake of her head.

**Author's Note:**

> So of course this flowed right out in one go while I’ve been struggling with three other stories I have half written. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it and thank you for reading :)


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